Control unit for irrigation valves



E. T. BUTCHER CONTROL UNIT FOR IRRIGATION VALVES July 22, 1952 Filed sept. 16, 1948 R O T N E V m .fazgerze 7.' .Bucher uit mui.,

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I Il Z ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1952 l -:v

" UNIT-ED." sTA-TES PATENT.- OFFICE 2,604,292 ooNTRoL UNIT Fon IRRIGATION VALVESl Eugene T. Butcher, Waterford, Calif.:

"Application September 16, 1943, Serial No. 49,556 1' claim. (ci. 251-55 l This Ainvention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel control unit'foractuating irrigation valves; the controlunit being of manual# ly operated, screw type.

In conventional, screw type control units for irrigation valves, the screw is exposed and, in time, becomes rustyand dirt clogged, preventing ready opening or closing of the valve.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a screw type control unit, for irrigation valves, wherein the screwis wholly enclosed in a protective telescopic casing and runs in an oil bath; thus remaining clean and free running at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control unit, as above, which includes a novel structural assembly, including telescopic sleeves, within which the screw is disposed in protected relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control unit which is designed for ease and economy Yof manufacture, and assembly.

An additional object of the Vinvention is to rprovide a controll unit which is adapted forufse on both horizontal and 'vertical .ftype irrigation valves. f

A further object of the invention is tovprovide a practical and reliablecontrol unitforfirrigation valves, and one whichwill be exceedingly effective for the purpose'efor whichl it'is designed. These objects are accomplishedl by means of such structure and relative arrangement-of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specication and claim.

In the drawings: ,-q

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of thev control unit.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the control unit as applied to a horizontal valve.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the control unit as applied to a Vertical valve.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and at present to Figs. 1 and 2, the control unit, for irrigation valves, comprises a pair of sleeves in telescopic relation; there being an upper sleeve, indicated at I, and a lower sleeve, indicated at 2.

The upper sleeve I is engaged about the lower sleeve 2, and the extent of overlap between said sleeves is substantial.

The assembly of the upper sleeve I and lower sleeve 2 is disposed vertical, and a vertical spining relation'.

, 1 2 dle'r screw shaft 3 extends axially within said assembly, and projects out of the upper end thereof; there being a horizontal hand crank 4 xed on therupper end of said shaft 3.

- At its'top' end the upper sleeve I is iitted with a threaded-in recessed bushing 5 which forms a seat for a cross pin 6 on the shaft 3;. the bushing 5 including a threaded-in retaining nut 'I which prevents upward displacement of the cross pin 6 from the bushing 5, but does not limit rotation of said Vcrss pin with the shaft. It is thus possible to freely rotate the shaft 3 by means of the hand crank 4.

A'nut 8 is secured in` thelower sleeve 2, intermediate its ends, as by welding or the like, and the shaft 3 is threaded, as at 9, and runsthrough the nut 8. It will thus be evident that' upon rotationof'the shaft 3,V with resultant turning of said A.shaft inthe nut 8, there will be relative extension or contraction of the. sleeve assembly.

' 'A packing unit I0 is threaded into the top end of the lower sleeve 2, and the shaft 3 runs through such packing'unitlll in oil-tight but free turn- The inside'of the lower sleeve 2 below the packing unitfl'forms an oil chamber II, part of which is aboveand'part of which isbelow the nut 8j there being an oil passage I2 through saidv nut to'provide intercommunication between said portions of the chamber II. The oil chamber II is substantially full of oil. At'its bottm end the lower sleeve 2 is closed by a horizontal base or attachment flange I3 secured to said' sleeve by Welding, as at I4. Such ho'rizoritalf'base' or attachment ilange I3 is of substantially greater diameter than thatA ofthe lowersleeve 2.

vIntermediate its ends the 'upper sleeveV If is fitted with a collar I5 adjustably secured to said sleeve as by a set screw I6. The collar I5 includes a radial attachment flange I7.

The abo-ve described control unit is shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, as used in connection with an irrigation valve which includes a horizontal valve plate I8 vertically slidably mounted in an inverted, U-shaped guide frame I9 which includes a horizontal top bar 20.

The upper sleeve I extends, intermediate its ends, through an opening in the top bar 20, and the radial attachment flange I1 is secured to said top bar 20 by bolts 2 I.

The horizontal, base or attachment flange I3 abuts against, and is secured to, the top of the horizontal valve plate I 8 by bolts 22. Thus, upon rotationpf the hand crank 4 in one direction or the other, the shaft 3, acting on the nut 8, causes the lower sleeve 2 to raise or lower, t0 open or close the valve plate I8, respectively.

As the shaft 3 and nut 8 are wholly enclosed within the protective casing formed by the assembly of the sleeves l and 2, and other attached parts, such shaft is not subject to rusting or clogging with dust and dirt; remaining free running at all times. This free running of the shaft 3 is further enhanced by virtue of the fact that the threaded working parts thereof are in an oil bath at all times.

Another advantage of the control unit is that the horizontal hand crank 4 remains in the same horizontal plane rather than raising or lowering, when the valve is adjusted, as in conventional irrigation valves.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the control unit is shown as used in connection with an irrigation valve of the type which includes a vertical valve plate 23 guided, for vertical sliding motion, in an elongated upstanding frame 24 of inverted U-shape, which frame includes a top bar '25.

Here the control unit is constructed in the same manner as in Fig. 1, except that it is somewhat elongated vertically. The adjustable attachment flange 26 of the collar 21 is secured to the top bar 25 just as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

However, the manner of attaching the lower sleeve 28 to the vertical valve plate 23 is as follows:

The lower sleeve 28 has a block 29 affixed thereon, and such block is secured to a suspension hook V3|) by a pair of initially separate, transverse attachment bars 3l removably secured together by cross bolts 32. The suspension hook 38 engages, in normally holding relation, in a receiving boss 33 on the face of the vertical valve plate 23.

In this embodiment the control unit functions to raise or lower the vertical valve plate 23 in the same manner as described with respect to Figs. 1 and 2; to-wt rotation of the hand crank 4 causes the lower sleeve 28 to raise or lower, dependent upon the direction of rotation.

The described control unit, as applied to either a horizontal or vertical valve plate type irriga tion valve, is a practical and reliable device, capable of being hand-operated easily at all times. Further, by reason of the enclosure of the working parts, they are long lived and not subject to rusting or clogging by dirt; there being nothing requiring servicing or maintenance, except possibly the application of lubricant to the chamber H at infrequent periods.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desiredt In an irrigation valve which includes a frame having a top cross member, and a vertically movable valve plate below said member; a control unit for the plate comprising a tubular member closed at its lower end, upstanding from and secured on the valve plate, a sleeve slidably fitted on the tubular member and projecting thereabove, means securing the sleeve on the cross member of the frame against movement relative thereto, a screw extending into the sleeve from an upper termination above the upper end of the sleeve for operational access, means between the screw and sleeve at the upper end of the latter rotatably mounting the screw against axial movement, and a nut secured inthe tubular member intermediate its ends and through which the screw is threaded; there being a lubricant passage from above to below the nut, means closing the tubular member at its upper end whereby said member forms a lubricant retaining chamber.

EUGENE T. BUTC'HER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: f

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 580,930 Cook Apr. 20, 1897 696,901 Fairchild Apr. 1, 1902 1,301,030 Benner Apr.'15, 1919 1,540,539 Cain June 2, 1925 1,578,349 Nixon Mar. 30, 1926 1,717,392 Lofton June 18, 1929 1,754,138 Agee Apr. 8, 1930 1,832,528 Buck Nov. 17, 1931 1,841,789 Connolly Jan. 19, 1932 1,872,211 Yarnall Aug. 16, 1932 2,029,837 Schmid Feb. 4, 1936 '2,417,901 Bagsar Mar. 25, 1947 2,424,492 Morris July 22, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 42,966 Switzerland Apr. 18, 1909 

